A History of Women’s Swimwear

In the eighteenth centurysea bathing became a popular recreational activity. It was believed that there were considerable health benefits to bathing in the seathus it was encouraged for both women and men (Kidwell). Howeverimmersing oneself completely was discouraged. This was deemed particularly important for women as activity in water was not seen as sufficiently feminine. For bathingwomen would wear looseopen gownsthat were similar to the chemise (Kidwell). These bathing gowns were more comfortable to wear in the waterespecially when compared to more restrictive day clothes.

The bathing gown in figure 1 is from 1767 and belonged to Martha Washingtonthe wife of then-Continental Army commanderand later the first US presidentGeorge Washington. The blue and white checked gown is made from linen and is in an unfitted shift . Small lead weights are sewn into each quarter of the dressjust above the hem. This was to ensure the dress did not float up in the waterhelping women to maintain their modesty. It is known that Martha Washington travelled in the summers of 1767 and 1769 to the famed mineral springs in Berkeley SpringsWest Virginiato absorb the apparent health benefits.

During the Victorian periodknown for its strict moral valueswomen frequently used bathing machinesas pictured in figure 2when getting in and out of the sea. Bathing machines were little houses on wheels that would be drawn in and out of deeper water by horses. They provided women with a place to change in privacy before making their way directly into the sea.

Into the 1880swomen continued to wear bathing dressesas seen in figures 3 and 4. These garments had high-neckslong-sleevesand knee-length skirts. Linen and wool fabrics were still used. Women often wore belts at the waist to replicate the popular silhouette of the time. Under the bathing dresswomen would wear bloomer-like trousers to maintain their modesty.

An alternative female swimwear garmentpopularised towards the end of the Victorian erawas the Princess suit (Kennedy 23). These were one-piece garments where the blouse was attached to the trousers. On topwomen wore a mid-calf length skirt which diverted attention from the wearer’s figure. The garments tended to be dark colourswhich meant onlookers could not tell if the garment was wet. The suits were not the most practicalrestricting the wearers’ arm movements and weighing them down in the water.

The Princess suit was a catalyst for the considerable changes to women’s swimwear that was to come. Most obviouslythe Princess suit was the beginning of the one-piece swimsuit for women (Fig. 5). Changes began to happen quickly as women’s activities in water began to be more socially acceptable. Firstlyby the 1890sthe trousers of the Princess suit were shortened so they could not be seen under the skirt. The material that was used to create a Princess suit moved away from flannelwhich became heavy when wettowards serge and other knitted materials (Kidwell).

During the twentieth century women’s swimwear underwent significant transformations as a result of the material advancements and increasingly liberal fashion trends.

In the early nineteenth century swimming emerged as a competitive sport. Howeverits popularity was not solidified until its first appearance at the Olympic Games in 1896. Women were permitted to compete in swimming for the first time at the 1912 Olympics. Annette Kellerman (Fig. 6)a swimmer from Australiacan be credited for shifting social attitudes towards acceptance of female participation in swimming and beginning the modernization of female swimwear. Kellerman was dubbed “the Australian Mermaid” because of her swimming capabilities. She was known for swimming the English Channel and famed for her performances in Hollywood movies (Schmidt and Tay).

In 1905Annette Kellerman was invited to perform in front of the British Royal Familyhowever her swimsuit was prohibited as it was tight-fitting and revealed the lower half of her legs. Kellerman refused to compete in an inconvenient and ill-fitting garment which would meet their modesty standardsso she instead sewed black stockings onto her swimsuitas seen in figure 6. Kellerman encountered trouble again when she competed in Boston. Her swimsuit was deemed to be of indecent exposure; howeverthis was overruled in her favour as the judge agreed that heavy and ill-fitting swimsuits were impractical garments for swimming. This incident was widely publicised in the mediaand whilst Kellerman’s action could have had a liberating effect on female swimwearit unfortunately led to a crackdown on female immodesty in some parts of the worldwith police working to enforce strict clothing conduct policies.

Following the First World Warwomen’s swimwear trends began to differ across continents. In America and Europe women wore knitted swimwear which replaced the bathing suithowever there were slight tweaks depending on where you lived. In Americawomen favoured a practical and sporty look whilst European women opted for sleeker swimsuits which cut closely to the body. Another key difference between the two fashion trends was that women’s swimsuit fashions were accessible to a very large middle class in Americawhereas in Europe there were clear class divisions on what women could or could not afford to buy for wearing to the beach. An affluent woman could set herself apart by wearing a silk jersey swimming suitinstead of a knitted one (Kidwell). Kennedy reiterates this when she wrote:

“Both sides of the Atlantic favoured the practical one-piece ‘maillot’but in France the costume’s legs were shorter in lengththe knitted ribwork was more finely woven and the decoration was kept to a minimum.” (34)

Whilst the maillot costumes worn by women were improvements on what they had to wear before the turn of the centurythey still had their impracticalities. Due to the materiality of the garmentthe knitted swimsuits tended to become misshapen when wet. The fabric absorbed a great deal of water resulting in the elongation and sagging of the swimsuit. These issues often jeopardised the modesty of the women’s swimsuits which concerned inter-war society.

Lastex yarn (Fig. 10) was invented in 1931 (Kennedy 71). This was a game changer for swimwear once it was regularly used in production. Typically knitted swimsuits were made from wool which would lose its shape when wet. The introduction of Lastex yarn into women’s swimwear meant the garments would hold their form in and out of the water. Lastex would often be combined with artificial fibres such as rayon resulting in a stretchy and shiny fabric (Kennedy 71). Swimsuits could now be produced in a much larger range of colours and prints (Kennedy 71). Furthermoreat the end of the 1940sChristian Dior launched his New Look which consisted of nipped in waists and full skirtsaccentuating the female form. This exciting design shifted the trend to feminine and hourglass figures for womenincluding in swimwear. In this Lastex yarn advertisement from ca. 1950 (Fig. 10)the figure-hugging swimsuits reflect the fashionable feminine post-war silhouettes.

One of the most significant moments in the history of women’s swimwear was the creation of the bikini in 1946. The design of the bikini is credited to two separate designers who introduced the revolutionary garment at the same time. Jacques Heima French fashion designercreated a minimalist two-piece swimming garment in May 1946called the Atome. Heim’s Atome featured a bra-like top and bottoms which covered the bottom and navel. Later that yearin July 1946Louis Réardan engineer turned designercreated what he called the bikini. Réard’s skimpy designpictured in figure 11consisted of only four triangles of material that were held together with string. The two designs competed for public attention and whilst Heim’s garment was the first to be worn on a beachit was the term bikinias coined by Réardthat stuck.

The rise of the film industry and Hollywood glamourwhich celebrated the female form in its entiretyhad a big impact on the swimwear industry. In 1952Bridget Bardot starred in the French film ManinaThe Girl in the Bikini. At just 17Bardot was one of the first women to sport a bikini on the big screen. Towards the end of the decadein 1956Bardot appeared bikini-clad again in And God Created Women. These appearances brought the bikini into mainstream mediathus beginning the garment’s transition from outrageous and shocking to everyday. According to Vogueby the mid-1950s swimwear was seen more as a “state of dressnot undress” (Delis Hill 63)illustrating how liberated fashion trends were gradually being acceptedeven if society was not quite ready for the bikini.

Competitive swimming in the twenty-first century has continued to benefit from technological advancements in shapes and materials. In 2008 Speedo launched the LZR Racerpictured in figures 17 and 18. The body-length swimsuit is made from elastane-nylon and polyurethane. These swimsuits were controversial as many felt the materials being used gave an unfair advantage due to their hydrodynamic properties. Following their use in the 2008 Beijing Olympicswhere athletes who wore the LZR performed exceptionally wellthe regulations for swimwear in the Olympic games were revised. It was concluded that women’s swimwear could only be shoulder to knee-length.

Since the 2000smany female swimwear trends from the twentieth century are being revisited due to the cyclical nature of fashion. 1950s one-pieceshigh-cut Baywatch swimwear and itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny bikinis will often be spotted on the same beach. Women’s swimwear continues to be more than just a functional garmentit must also be fashionable. Something that is new in female swimwear in the twenty-first century is swimwear brands being more inclusive of female sizing. The pressure to look a certain way when poolside is slowly dwindling. Whilst the twentieth-century sought to eradicate laws controlling women’s modestyperhaps the twenty-first century will be the era when women’s swimwear becomes inclusive for all.